Must Have Been the Wind
by Sweet-SnarkingFool
Summary: One-shot. Taichi suspects that something's going on with Sora. He's determined to help her even if she's trying to deny it and deal with it alone. (Eventual Taiora) Warning : Mentions of abuse throughout stories


Must Have Been the Wind

* * *

Author's Note:

Thanks to this 'AMV' of sorts, I really fell in love with Alec Benjamin's '_Must Have Been the Wind'._ So this love for the song I had sparked this little fanfic. It's not a songfic though, I just took inspiration from the song.

**Summary : **Taichi suspects that something's going on with Sora. He's determined to help her even if she's trying to rebuff it.

Couple(-s) : (Eventual) Taiora

Before I begin, I want to warn readers that this fanfic will include mentions and at least one-on screen moment of abuse. I am giving this 'trigger warning' in advance. I also do not own the characters. I'm just a fan whose into writing.

* * *

Taichi Kamiya had been looking forward to sleep in this day.

He had nothing like a meet-up planned, he didn't have classes today, he didn't have any urgent errands to do. So he was more than happy to welcome the sweet embrace of slumber while the AC was on in this surprisingly hot morning. Just a perfect and lazy Friday morning to sleep in until the afternoon, just what every college student wanted and needed after surviving midterm after midterm.

Or at least that's what he was planning.

Just five before eight in the morning, a sound of glass shattering on the wall from the apartment above him startled him from his slumber. To the point he had tumbled out of bed.

"Fuck." Taichi muttered irritably. He got up and sat on his bed, waiting for another sound. After a minute or so, he heard nothing else. _Must have been dreaming that sound._ Shrugging sleepily, Taichi was readying himself to go back to sleep. Or at least that's what he would have done, if he hadn't heard a sound that made his heart go 'thunk'.

The sound of a girl crying from above. Oh, not just any girl, though. He knew that voice well enough.

"Sora?" Taichi asked to no-one in particular, instantly standing up. Okay, that did it for him. He was no longer sleepy. Not when something was happening to his friend. Deciding that sleeping in could wait another time, Taichi immediately turned off his AC, but not before slightly shivering as a cool breeze from it blasted into his body, bare-chested and covered only in a pair of orange boxers with images of monkeys stealing (ironically) underwear imprinted on it.

_That's what I get for wearing only my boxers to bed_, Taichi snarked internally.

Putting on a clean pair of jeans, a short-sleeved red hoodie, and his Converse sneakers, Taichi immediately headed out, apartment keys rattling in his jean pocket as he anxiously hurried his pace to the elevator, pushing the button to his destination : the fifth floor.

The cocoa-haired boy had wasted zero time to reach room 520 and certainly didn't waste a single iota to knock on the door in his panic. _Come on, Sora…please be okay._

To his relief, the door clicked and he was greeted by the sight of those warm crimson-colored eyes that he knew and loved (_wait, did I just say love?)_…except they looked like they had been socketed red, like she had been crying.

It was then Taichi took a good look at Sora. Her reddish orange hair that she had began growing out recently was tied in a slight braid to the side. She was dressed in a hoodie that Taichi swore she wore a couple of days when it was raining, in this warm morning, black shorts, and white flip-flops.

"Hi, Taichi!" Sora called out, a smile on her face, but there was something about it that looked forced, as if she was trying with all her fiber to keep some type of normalcy in the environment. "What a pleasant surprise…" She lifted her hand for one second but then quickly put it down as if she had caught herself doing something wrong, the way someone does when they decide to not get the item at the store.

"Sora…I…" For a second, Taichi's voice faltered, betraying what he wanted to say. _Don't be a coward. Ask her. What if she's…just ask her, Taichi. _"I heard something, like glass shattering from, I think, your apartment and I…also heard crying."

"Glass shattering?" Sora repeated, her face becoming pale slightly as she glanced away from Taichi's direction.

Taichi replied gently, "Look, I want to know what the fuck is going on. You're my friend, and…"

Sora gave out a laugh, a fake one in Taichi's opinion, as she said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Taichi frowned deeply as he asked, a stern edge in his voice the way a parent would as they scold their child, "Then I don't think you'll have any problem telling me why you're wearing that hoodie in the fucking heat. It's like you're hiding something." He quickly noticed Sora's facial expression look terrified, causing him to soften his expression and his tone. He gently inquired, "Sora, I need to know what's going on."

Then as if he was going to get his answer, from the corner, the two of them heard a voice call out Sora's name. Tai then saw someone else in the room standing off in the distance walking towards the entrance.

Smooth copper brown hair that loosely fell from his ears, light skin, and grey eyes that were narrowed into Taichi and Sora's direction. He had a medium build not that different from Taichi but he seemed less 'muscular' and 'active' than Taichi was. Still he was fairly handsome, Tai could see why someone could be attracted to him. Not a bad dresser either. Dressed in a yellow polo shirt that had some logo Tai didn't recognize and was sure cost big bucks, khaki pants, and brown loafers.

There was a cup, a **glass** cup to be exact, shattered on the floor, as if someone had thrown it in a fit of rage. Like the one that would have made that sound that had woken him up.

"Whose this…skater kid, Sora?" The man asked, still glaring into Taichi. Taichi glared back darkly in response and not because of that insult either. Maybe it was too early to tell and this could have been because of his flaw of having such an impulsive attitude but he hated this fucker's guts already.

"Her friend, Taichi." Taichi replied to this man, his voice colder than ice, and he wasn't going to offer this man any politeness because the next thing that escaped his mouth was, "and who the FUCK are you?"

"Taichi!" Sora gasped, her tone becoming…fearful to Tai's notice and instant concern.

"Izawa. Sora's boyfriend." The gray-eyed man sniffed before replying, "Sora never told me about you if I recall."

Taichi swore that he could see Izawa shoot a dirty look at Sora for a brief second who immediately gulped internally. This only caused Taichi to really hate him at this point.

"Because you never bothered to ask, I bet." Taichi sniped.

"That's enough." Sora scowled at Taichi. "You need to leave."

Taichi's facial expression softened towards Sora as he said gently, "I just don't want you to get hurt…"

Sora's facial expression also became much less severe, and as Taichi noticed, even sadder. The red-headed young woman gave a small sad smile as she said, "That's nice of you to worry about me, Taichi but…I'm fine really." As she said this, she could feel her eyes water but she kept her best to keep on this mask she had been having around everyone. "You must have heard…the wind or something."

Taichi's facial expression dropped but he didn't want to argue with her. All he muttered out, trying to hide the stunned tone in his voice, "See you soon then. Just your concerned friend looking to help you if you need it."

"Thank you…" Sora said and with that Taichi left, if reluctantly as if his legs were made of lead. Yet as he did, the chocolate-colored-haired boy swore he could see Izawa smirking at him in some sick triumph. Sora didn't note Izawa's sickening grin. She also didn't notice that Taichi's neutral mask broke to reveal a scowl on his eyes and a snarl on his mouth, not bothering to conceal it from that fucker how much he hated him. If looks could kill, Izawa would have keeled over deader than a door nail.

Once the door was closed, Izawa's facial expression softened as he asked, "So, Sora…what is it you wanted to talk to me about? I must have overheard wrong or something…" However, his tone was still icy cold towards Sora, very dangerously cold.

Sora sighed, breathing in and out to herself. "Izawa, I…" Her voice faltered. Izawa was not pleased after Taichi's visit and she had a feeling if she went through this plan it wouldn't be smooth sailing. So all she said was, "Izawa, just take a few hours and come back later, okay?…"

Izawa said, his voice no longer cold but not quite warm either, "Very well."

As Izawa left, Sora frowned to herself. _This is it. No mistakes, no stalling. I have to tell him that it's over between us no matter what. I'm not going to let him hurt myself like this anymore. NO relationship is worth this._

* * *

_What is wrong with me? _Taichi thought as he ate lunch. It had been about four hours since he had talked to Sora and yet he couldn't shake off that feeling. _This is wrong…why am I hating someone that I don't know? Ugh, Tai, why are you like this?_

Taichi felt awful. He didn't even know Izawa and already he was making up conclusions about him. In hindsight it was wrong to act so rude around him. _Maybe it's because I'm jealous that he's with Sora? Ugh, Taichi, come on. Why are you acting like Sora belongs to you? Sora's your friend, not your property. She's allowed to date whoever she wants. If she's happy with him…or her, hey I don't judge, then…so be it._

_But what if that person isn't right for her? _Another voice in him gently argued. That caused Taichi to stop his inner monologue. In a rare moment, he had lost his normally huge appetite.

Taichi sighed. There was only one way to find out.

Once again, the keys to his apartment rattling inside the pocket of his pants, he headed to the elevator to the fifth floor and walked down the hall to room 520, quickening his pace. He knocked on the door rapidly.

This time, Sora answered once more. She looked anxious.

"Taichi?" Sora's face gave away to surprise but her eyes still darted around suspiciously. Sora gently let Taichi in which the chocolate-haired man was more than happy to do so. Once Sora closed the door, Taichi finally blurted out what was on his mind.

"Sora, I need to know what's going on with you."

"Taichi…everything's fine. I swear…" Sora said, swallowing a lump. "You…I'm…I'm fine…"

She was about to open the door to let Taichi out but then Taichi stopped her by gently holding her arm…and that's when he saw the deep purple bruises on it, when the sleeve of her hoodie fell slightly.

Taichi's eyes widened and Sora, upon seeing Taichi's reaction, followed suit.

Sora stuttered, "Taichi…this…this isn't what it looks like, I-I swear…"

Taichi's stunned face quickly turned into a glare as he asked, a rough tone in his voice, "Izawa, is he…oh fucking God…is that fucker beating you?"

Sora looked at him, frozen in terror.

Taichi asked Sora, his tone much more gentle, "Sora…is Izawa hurting you?"

"Taichi…I have to go back in…it must have been the-" Sora muttered out, trying not to cry only to fail as she burst to tears. Taichi gently held her to her chest as he was about to say something.

They then heard the door in Sora's apartment slam. Sora's eyes became huge, her pupils getting smaller in horror. They heard Izawa call out to Sora.

He walked in and saw Taichi and Sora. Izawa's confused facial expression turned into one of pure rage.

"Why are you nuzzling him like that?!" The light-brown haired man demanded to Sora. Taichi immediately let go of Sora, rage in his heart as he was ready to tell the fucker off. That was all the confirmation he needed to know that Izawa was beating Sora. Before he could say anything, Sora did something that surprised the brunet.

Sora spoke up, fear in her voice but also determination, "Izawa, it's not what it looks like."

Izawa wouldn't listen. He screamed, "You little whore! You're leaving me for that…that ne'er do well?!"

Sora's eyes hardened in spite of the tears threatening to break her defenses as she stated, "I am leaving you…but not because of him…but because of the fact that you treat me like shit!"

Izawa's glare darkened, as he asked, the tone in his voice dangerously cold, "WHAT…did you just say?"

Sora's scowl deepened as she said, "We…are…through. I'm done with your shit."

"Oh you're just going to dump me now?! When we're going so strong?!" Izawa demanded, getting dangerously close to Sora to Taichi's liking.

"Oh, trust me, Izawa...the first month may have been wonderful but then you changed. These past two months have been hell for me! Always the same cycle…I can try to forgive and forget but this time, Izawa, no more." Sora said, firmly. "My mind's made up."

Izawa flipped. He pinned Sora on the wall. Sora's eyes grew huge in terror as Izawa snarled at her, "You've made a horrible mistake, Sora, and now you're going to pay." His hands were gripping at her neck.

"You're hurting me…" Sora squeaked out, fearful but determined to be strong. She could do this.

"Shut your mouth before I-"

He didn't have time to finish his threat because he felt himself being pulled away from Sora, who fell to her knees recovering her breath and was about to witness quite the scene.

Taichi was seeing nothing but red, and Izawa was the bulls-eye. Mount Tai was going to erupt in three, two…

"DON'T TOUCH HER AGAIN LIKE THAT YOU FUCKING SON OF A WHORE!" Taichi screamed at Izawa, pinning the light brown-haired man on the ground and giving one punch on the stomach.

One.

Izawa responded by biting Taichi's fist, under the belief, that it would stop him. It didn't. It only managed to make Taichi even angrier, as he responded with a loud warrior-like yell and punching Izawa's mouth with a quick fist.

Taichi began cleaning out Izawa's clock, punching, kicking, beating him as he screamed every foul obscenity he knew to a wide-eyed Izawa who could only try to put his hands up in a futile attempt to block the blows made by the raging bull. The only things louder than Tai's screams and grunts of rage were Izawa's moans and whimpers of pain.

Sora was stunned at the state her best friend had left her ex. Bruises on his arms and face that looked far worse than what Izawa had recently left her. His nose was bleeding, his eyes were swollen.

Taichi snarled at a trembling Izawa, softly yet angrily, "I don't want you near Sora again. You even BREATHE in the same direction that she is within a mile or two, I. WON'T. STOP. THIS. TIME."

There was no sign of Taichi stopping in this round either as he dangerously raised a fist to an Izawa who looked positively terrified when…

"Open up! We've received a call about a dispute!" The police came in which made Taichi stop as he glared at the uniformed men, panting.

"What's going on here?" The ringleader of these uniformed men asked.

Sora gulped, but then calmly said, her tone brave, "I can answer that."

She and the uniformed men got out of the apartment room, Taichi looking on in concern.

* * *

It had been a month since Sora broke up with Izawa. She had gotten a restraining order on him and he was being tried. It turned out Sora was not the first girl he had put his hands on in such a way. Meanwhile, Taichi ended up not getting charged at all due to Sora's point of view making the police realize it was self-defense to the horror and anger of Izawa's mother who screeched to the police how that _monster_ almost killed her _baby_. As for Izawa, Sora was assured she'd never have to deal with him again since she had a small feeling that Taichi's explosion towards Izawa had scared him off from potentially seeking her again. She was glad and healing slowly but surely, with therapy and a good support group.

On this blissful morning, Sora was humming as she washed the dishes in her apartment, her orange-red hair loose and free, dressed in a light red sundress with thick straps and tan sandals. Her bruises on her arms were gone. There were still a few more on her legs and neck from a month ago but they would disappear and heal just like she would in time.

As she finished the dishes, she could hear music from downstairs. 'Lean on Me'. Sora smiled, knowing this was none other than Taichi. _Maybe I should pay him a visit, _Sora thought with a smile.

She grabbed her purse and her apartment keys, locked the door as she exited, took the elevator to the fourth floor, and walked bit to room 405. She knocked on the door.

"Coming!" a voice yelled out. Sora grinned as she saw Taichi open the door, dressed in a sleeveless orange shirt and ripped jeans. "Hey, Sora. How's it going?"

"Great~" the red-headed chirped. Her joyful expression gave into confusion as she heard a dog bark.

Taichi laughed as he noticed the surprised facial expression and said, "Sora, I want you to meet someone."

Taichi invited Sora into the apartment and Sora's eyes brightened as she smiled hugely.

"Oh, he's adorable, Taichi!" Sora gasped, watching the little bundle of joy wag its tail excitedly.

Taichi chuckled as he explained, "I adopted him from the shelter. His name is Nico. Nico, meet Sora."

Sora knelt down to study the little Akita pup that wagged his tail. She gently petted the little cream-colored pup who gently nipped at her fingers and barked. "Such a playful cutie," Sora said in amusement. She lifted Nico up and the puppy responded by licking her face as she laughed.

"Nico! You're not supposed to lick visitors!" Taichi scolded playfully as Sora gently put Nico down whose attention diverted to Taichi's old shoe.

As Sora regained her composure, she found herself blushing and Tai did too. Sora asked, "Taichi?"

Taichi replied, "Yeah?"

Sora said, "I-I never got to thank you formally for helping me with Izawa there…so, Thank you…Thank you, Taichi for saving my life." Her maroon eyes shone with happiness and gratitude as Taichi smiled back. The two neared each other and Sora nuzzled Taichi, who smiled as he allowed her to bask in the warmth of each other's body and Nico nuzzled on Taichi's leg.

It was there that they began to develop a relationship there in that spot. It had just happened naturally. What would this spell? The answer : Happiness. A future with them having a family. But until that future came, Taichi was glad that Sora wouldn't have to say 'it must have been the wind' anymore.

* * *

Author's Note : This was supposed to be shorter than the final result but I just got so into it that it became longer than what I expected. Not that I'm complaining.

Quick PSA : If you suspect someone is going through this situation, please do help. Granted, don't beat their abuser up but at least get them help.

I do not claim ownership of the characters. I am simply a fan writing this for amusement. Constructive criticism is welcome.


End file.
